APTOPIX California Wildfires Palisades Investigation
An aerial view shows the cleared site of a mobile home park more than a year after the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, June 4, 2026.
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A federal trial has begun in Los Angeles for the man accused of sparking last year’s deadly Palisades Fire. It comes as the neighborhood continues to rebuild and the aftermath of the blaze reverberates through the race for LA mayor. Jury selection began Monday in the case against 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up a week later. His attorneys argue that Rinderknecht is being made a scapegoat for the fire department’s failure to extinguish the blaze.
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